2019 March - Pro Football Rumors

Bills To Sign WR Cole Beasley

March 12th, 2019 at 11:55am CST by Zachary Links

The Bills aren’t done making upgrades at wide receiver. Shortly after inking John Brown to a free agent deal, the Bills struck an agreement with Cole Beasley, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The pact will pay Beasley $29MM over four years, Garafolo adds.

We previously heard estimates that Beasley could get up to $10MM/year, so the $7.25MM average annual value on this deal isn’t too pricey for Buffalo by comparison. Still, it’s a big chunk of change for a player who had just 672 yards off of 65 catches last year for the Cowboys. Beasley also added three touchdowns, bringing his career total to 23.

Beasley has never been much of a deep threat with a career average of 10.3 yards per reception, but he offers speed in the short game as well as special teams acumen.

Statistically, Beasley’s best season came in 2016 when he posted a 75/833/5 line. He also averaged 11.1 yards per grab that year, which nearly matched his career best of 11.4 ypc in 2014.

Anthony Barr Cancels Jets Deal, Re-Signs With Vikings

March 12th, 2019 at 11:49am CST by Zachary Links

Anthony Barr won’t be signing with the Jets after all. The linebacker’s contract has been called off, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Instead, he’ll re-sign with the Vikings.

The Vikings gave Barr a five-year deal worth $67.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, with $33MM of this pact being guaranteed. Incentives can raise Barr’s earnings to $77MM.

This is pretty shocking news, as the contract with New York was reported as having been a done deal last night. His deal with the Jets was reportedly going to pay Barr over $14MM annually, so it sounds like he took slightly less to stay in Minnesota.

Manish Mehta of The New York Daily News tweets that the Vikings sweetened their initial offer, which helped sway Barr to change his mind. Barr’s desire to remain in Minnesota helped make up for the slight disparity between the two proposals, Mehta adds (on Twitter).

As for the money Barr did receive, it will make him the second-highest-paid off-ball linebacker in the game. The Jets’ C.J. Mosley deal tops the list, by a considerable margin. Both of this week’s deals set a new high bar for what had been a stagnant market, with Jamie Collins‘ 2017 Browns deal being non-rush linebackers’ high-water mark for nearly two years — prior to Cleveland cutting Collins.

While it certainly caught the Jets by surprise, it might not end up being all that bad for New York. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets that the Jets have taken some of the money they were going to pay Barr, and used it to make “a last and final big offer to Le’Veon Bell.”

Rapoport writes that it’s now “decision time” for Bell, as the Jets appear to have made their final offer. The Jets have been saying for months they were going to be aggressive in free agency, and they’ve certainly delivered on that promise. The Jets have been the team most consistently linked to Bell, and they seem to be the frontrunner for his services as of now.

Barr has spent his entire five-year career with the Vikings, earning four Pro Bowl nods along the way, and had always maintained that he wanted to stay a Viking. The former first-rounder had another standout season in 2018, finishing with 55 tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble. The Vikings ultimately decided to pass on franchising Barr, a move that would have cost $15.9MM.

This represents another major Vikings investment in their homegrown core, with Barr joining numerous defensive starters in being signed to long-term deals. This also figures to scratch a possible move to more of an edge-rushing role. The Jets were planning to incorporate more of Barr’s college-years edge work into their scheme, but with the Vikings, the five-year veteran has consistently worked as an off-ball linebacker. It appears he is comfortable in this role and will not be leaving the Twin Cities.

Bills To Sign WR John Brown

March 12th, 2019 at 11:47am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Bills didn’t end up landing Antonio Brown, but they are bringing in a receiver. Buffalo is going to sign John Brown, a source told Peter Schrager of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Adam Schefter of ESPN.com followed up with a tweet reporting that Brown will get $27MM over three years. Brown comes to the Bills from the Ravens, where he spent the 2018 season after inking a one year deal. Brown will provide an immediate upgrade to the Bills’ weak receiving corp, and will be a great asset for Josh Allen as he continues to develop as a passer. Buffalo’s leading receiver last year was Zay Jones, which wasn’t going to cut it moving forward.

Brown will provide a much-needed deep threat for Buffalo’s offense, and he’s still one of the fastest receivers in the league. Brown was always high on talent, and showed flashes during his years with the Cardinals. He broke out with 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns in 2015, but struggled with injuries and inconsistency the next couple of years.

He got off to a really hot start in Baltimore, and revitalized his career last year. He showed an instant connection with Joe Flacco, and had at least 85 yards in four of his first seven games. His production really dropped off the second half of the season, but only because Lamar Jackson took over at quarterback and the team stopped throwing deep as much. Brown is still only 28, and will immediately slide in as Buffalo’s best receiver.

Dolphins, DeVante Parker Agree To Extension

March 12th, 2019 at 11:31am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Dolphins have been quiet so far in free agency, but they’re on the verge of locking up one of their own. Miami is “closing in on” a two-year extension with receiver DeVante Parker, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).

In a separate tweet, Pelissero reports the two-year deal will be worth up to $13MM including incentives. It’s been a tumultuous ride for Parker in Miami. A first round pick in 2015, he had been heading into the final year of his rookie deal after the Dolphins picked up his fifth-year option last year. He had been widely expected to be cut this offseason, so this is a bit of a surprise.

A new front office and coaching staff is in place in Miami, and they want to give Parker one more shot to get things figured out. Parker has always been high on talent, but has been plagued by injuries and inconsistent playing time. Notably, Parker was at the center of an incident last season where his agent publicly blasted then Dolphins coach Adam Gase.

Seemingly every year, Parker has been hyped as a breakout candidate during training camp, but it’s never materialized. The Louisville product reeled in 24 balls for 304 yards and one touchdown in 11 games last year. The 304 yards were by far the lowest of his career, and the year before he had 670. The old coaching staff never really seemed to believe in Parker, so it’s definitely possible he’ll fare better under new coach Brian Flores.

Cardinals To Sign Jordan Hicks

March 12th, 2019 at 11:16am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Cardinals aren’t done signing linebackers. After inking outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, Arizona has agreed to terms on a contract with inside linebacker Jordan Hicks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Rapoport reports the deal is for four years and $36MM. Hicks will get a $12MM signing bonus, and $20MM of the deal is fully guaranteed. Hicks comes to the desert from the Eagles, after spending the first four years of his career in Philadelphia. A third round pick in 2015, Hicks became a near-immediate starter in Philly.

Hicks has always been a good player when on the field, but he does have a somewhat lengthy injury history. His rookie season was cut short by a torn pectoral, and he missed the final nine games of the 2017 season after tearing his Achilles. He then missed four games last year with a calf injury. The Cardinals are signaling that they’ll be aggressive rebuilding their defense as they transition into the Kliff Kingsbury era.

It’s a lot of money to plunk down, but if Hicks can stay healthy he should be worth it. He earned great marks from Pro Football Focus last year, grading out as the tenth-best linebacker in the league by PFF’s metrics. New defensive coordinator Vance Joseph will be running a 3-4 defense in Arizona, and now the Cardinals have Hicks to play alongside 2017 first round pick Haason Reddick in the middle.

Saints To Sign Latavius Murray

March 12th, 2019 at 11:15am CST by Zachary Links

Alvin Kamara has a new understudy. The Saints have agreed to sign former Vikings running back Latavius Murray, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter links). It’s a four-year, $14.4MM deal, Schefter adds.

Murray, 29, averaged 4.1 yards per carry last season, his best average since his rookie season with the Raiders. He no longer profiles as a top-end starter, but he could be a phenomenal fit as Kamara’s safety net and change of pace complement.

This time last year, Murray reworked his contract in order to stay with the Vikings. Initially, Murray was set to play out a three-year, $15MM deal through the 2019 season. But, in exchange for accepting a reduced base salary, the Vikings eliminated the ’19 season from his contract.

The unexpected signing likely means that Mark Ingram will not return to New Orleans. The Saints wanted to retain the veteran, but they were also unwilling to give him much more than the $4MM they paid him in 2018. Ingram became a two-time Pro Bowler and enjoyed his best season in 2017 when he amassed 1,540 yards from scrimmage and scored 12 touchdowns. Last year, he only rushed for 645 yards, but he averaged 4.7 per carry.

Packers To Release Nick Perry

March 12th, 2019 at 11:12am CST by Zachary Links

The Packers will release outside linebacker Nick Perry, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The decision to cut Perry comes moments after the Packers agreed to sign linebacker Preston Smith and pass rusher Za’Darius Smith.

Perry was set to make $11MM this season and had a $4.8MM roster bonus due on March 15. With tons of new firepower (and expenditures) in the front seven, there was little room left for Perry.

The Packers happily re-upped Perry on a five-year, $60MM extension in 2017, but he’s missed eleven games since then. His latest injury came in 2018 when he landed on IR with a knee ailment. Perry had a career-low 1.5 sacks last season and he was bracing himself for a release.

Previously, it was believed that the Packers could have interest in restructuring Perry’s deal, but there’s little need for him after the Packers’ free agent shopping bonanza. Perry won’t turn 29 until April and is healthy once again, so he shouldn’t have too much trouble finding work.

Per Rob Demovksy of ESPN.com, Perry was not designated as a post-June 1 cut, which means that the Packers will eat all of the dead money from the release ($11.1MM) this year. The club will still save roughly $3.3MM in cap space in 2019, but they could have saved nearly $11MM if they spread out the dead money into 2020.

Steelers Toll Ryan Shazier’s Contract Into 2019

March 12th, 2019 at 10:37am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Steelers are once again doing right by Ryan Shazier. The team is tolling his contract into 2019, with plans to eventually place him on the reserve/PUP list, according to Bob Labriola of Steelers.com.

Shazier was nearly paralyzed after making a tackle in a now infamous 2017 game against the Bengals. Since then he’s undergone several surgeries as he continues the lengthy rehabilitation process. Pittsburgh’s move today ensures that Shazier “will be paid a salary commensurate with his years of service in the NFL, he will continue to accrue seasons toward his NFL players’ pension, and his medical insurance plan will be the same coverage that all active NFL players receive,” Labriola writes.

Shazier will be paid $473K in 2019, according to Albert Breer of SI.com (Twitter link). It’s a classy move by Steelers ownership, and they’ve stuck by the linebacker every step of the way. Shazier has remained around the team in an informal coaching role, and will continue to do so.

“We will continue to support Ryan’s efforts to return to play,” Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said in a statement. “Although he won’t be able to help us on the field in 2019, his leadership, insight, and emotional support have always been very valuable to us, and we look forward to his contributions in our pursuit of a championship.”

Shazier has remained steadfast in his insistence that he wants to return to the field one day, but it won’t be in 2019. A first round pick out of Ohio State in 2014, Shazier had blossomed into a star at the time of his injury.

49ers, Kyle Nelson Agree To Extension

March 12th, 2019 at 10:36am CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have signed long snapper Kyle Nelson to a four-year extension through 2022, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Nelson still has six games left on a ten-game suspension handed out last December, so he won’t actually play under the new deal until late October or early November.

Nelson was suspended ten games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances late last year. The length of the suspension indicates that it was the second PED ban of Nelson’s career.

The 32-year-old (33 in October) has spent the past five seasons in San Francisco, appearing in every single game for the organization. Before that, Nelson appeared in games for the Chargers and Redskins.

Packers To Sign OL Billy Turner

March 12th, 2019 at 10:21am CST by Zachary Links

The Packers’ shopping spree isn’t over yet. On Tuesday morning, the Packers agreed to sign offensive lineman Billy Turner, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (on Twitter). Turner’s deal with Green Bay is for four years and $28MM, with a max value of $29.5MM, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic tweets. The contract calls for him to receive $11MM in the first year.

Turner, 27, has spent the last two years and change with the Broncos. He was discussing a new deal with Denver this week, but the addition of Ja’Wuan James probably squeezed him out of Denver. Turner now turns his attention to the Packers, where he can offer help at both tackle and guard.

The former Dolphins third-round pick has 25 career starts to his credit, including 11 last year. After suffering a rash of injuries up front, the Packers can use all the help they can get in protecting Aaron Rodgers.

Of course, Turner’s signing isn’t the real attention grabber in Green Bay. On Tuesday, the Packers also agreed to sign safety Adrian Amos, linebacker Preston Smith, and pass rusher Za’Darius Smith. Given all of the expenditures, it seems unlikely that the Packers will be serious suitors for Le’Veon Bell.